I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of catering equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable steam table that is collapsible and capable of nesting within itself.
II. Description of the Related Art
Food catering services typically serve prepared foods from a buffet line having a plurality of serving pans. A problem arises, particularly in the outdoor setting, of providing heat to the serving pans containing foods which are to be served at elevated or warm temperatures. Often, the serving pan is placed within a double-boiler pan supported by a stand for both holding the double-boiler pan and positioning a heat source thereunder. The double-boiler pan is partially filled with water and the serving dish is nested within it. In this manner, heat from the heat source, typically a candle or a fuel can, such as manufactured under the trademark, STERNO, is used to transfer heat to the water in the double-boiler pan from whence it is transferred through vapor convection to the serving pan and the food therein.
The stand commonly is a four-sided frame having the respective sides rigidly mounted to one another at their intersections, thereby defining comers. Legs rigidly extend downward from the corners to elevate the frame with respect to a surface that supports the stand. There is generally sufficient distance between the surface and the double-boiler pan to place the heat source therebetween. However, the stand offers little or no protection from breezes often encountered in the outdoor setting. The breezes make heat regulation from the heat source to the double-boiler pan difficult and cause additional fuel use. Further, the breezes can extinguish the flame of the heat source, which results in an undesired cooling of the food in the serving dish. Additionally, since a caterer typically transports all needed equipment and food from the caterer's location to the event location, the rigid stand is not readily storable, thereby taking up needed space and presenting problems.
Several types of collapsible cooking devices or chafing dishes have been devised. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,495 issued to Gotwalt, a cooking device, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, has a frame and four sides, each of which is movably attached to adjacently positioned sides by means of a hinge member connected to each of the side extremities. The frame and its sides generally are arranged in a rectangular configuration, but the shape of the frame by virtue of the hinge members can be varied. Two of the sides, which are opposite one another, respectively have first and second portions, and the interior ends of the portions are pivotally connected by another hinge member.
Hsiao in U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,992 describes a folding roaster. The roaster has a front trapezoid plate, a rear trapezoid plate, two folding side plates respectively pivotally mounted to the front and rear trapezoid plates, and three screens. The uppermost screen is placed on top edges of the plates for roasting use. The bottom two screens are for supporting burning charcoal and wood, respectively. As with Gotwalt, the folding side plates have first and second portions, and the interior ends of the portions are pivotally connected by a hinge.
A portable, collapsible field stove, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,906 issued to Longley, Jr., has a front plate, a back plate, a pair of end plates respectively pivotally mounted to the front and black plates, and a bottom plate pivotally mounted to the back plate. In the same manner as Gotwalt and Hsiao, the end plates have first and second portions, and the interior ends of the portions are pivotally connected by a hinge. The bottom plate removably engages the front plate to prevent the stove from collapsing while in use.
A portable, collapsible chafing dish described by Kaufman in U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,903 has a collapsible stand and a tray. The collapsible stand has four hinged members, two of which being a pair of oppositely disposed lateral sides and the other two being a pair of oppositely disposed ends respectively pivotally connected to the lateral sides. Apertures having lower edges are provided in the ends. At each end of the tray are capturing lips to respectively, removably engage the lower edges of the apertures, thereby preventing the chafing dish from collapsing and adding structural strength.